In a starred question raised by MLA, Naiba Konyak on fire incident at Dzukou valley, Kohima and preventive measure on day 4 of the Eighth session of the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly at NLA Hall, Kohima on 10th March 2026, Chief Minister, Dr. Neiphiu Rio stated that no person as the culprit of such incidents has been identified or apprehended so far.
            On the total expenditure incurred on hiring Army helicopters to extinguish forest fires from 2023 till date, Rio said the bills for the last hiring of IAF choppers are yet to be received.
            Dr. Rio, further informed that the department has undertaken several measures to prevent forest fires at Dzukou Valley. These include training of community volunteers from Western and Southern Angami areas in collaboration with the Angami Youth Organization (AYO) at Khonoma from March 3 to 9, 2025.
            He added that the department will also take up establishment of watch towers for improved early detection of fires in high-risk zones, procurement of firefighting equipment such as beaters, drones and water backpacks, creation and maintenance of fire lines, training of Rapid Response Teams (RRTs), installation of early warning systems including SMS alerts and sirens, and deployment of drone surveillance for monitoring inaccessible areas.
           
(Kazihito, IA